'16 Smart Fortwo

New model offers a smoothed-out transmission, wider stance and added features. (See related story: Daimler knew it needed to do a transmission makeover. The old one “was not what we hoped for,” Daimler spokesman Willem Spelten says here at a media preview.

Another beef about the old Fortwo was its susceptibility to wind buffeting. On  blustery days, the car felt like it was changing lanes on its own, kind of a scary alter ego to advanced systems that keep a driver from lane drifting.

The new Fortwo stands up to wind better. That partly comes from it being 4 ins. (102 mm) wider, which not only gives it a more planted look, but also offers more driving stability.

Also aiding that cause is a crosswind-assist feature that’s standard on the new model. If sensors detect the vehicle drifting off course at speeds exceeding 50 mph (81 km/h), specific braking intervention that works in conjunction with the electronic-stability-control system kicks in.

The crosswind assist is technology borrowed from Mercedes. Smart and Mercedes engineers work together – to an extent. Many high-tech features in a $100,000 Mercedes S-Class aren’t found in a Smart starting at $14,650.

For instance, the Mercedes comes with a collision-avoidance system that automatically stops the vehicle if the driver fails to react to an impending crash. The Smart now comes with an optional forward-collision warning system, but it isn’t as advanced as Mercedes’.

The Smart’s radar-based system uses visual and audible warnings to alert the driver of a collision in the works. But you’re on your own when it comes to stopping to avoid rear-ending someone. Unlike the Mercedes, the Smart won’t do the stopping for you.

To admirers, the Fortwo is cute. Others think it looks like the front-half remains of a botched magic trick in which the magician sawed a car in two and couldn’t get it back together again.

The half-a-car critics also say things like, “I wouldn’t want to be driving that thing and get hit by a truck.” Well, I wouldn’t want to occupy any vehicle that collides with a truck – including another truck.

Yet, the Smart holds its own in crash tests. The occupant “cage” is a rigid shell built of high-strength, hot-formed steel. It’s impressively protective. In head-on crash tests, Daimler safety engineers put the Fortwo up against the Mercedes S-Class. They say the Smart passed with honors. 

No Power Tripping

Powering the agile car is a rear-mounted 3-cyl. turbocharged engine that’s just under 1L and hits 89 hp at 6,200 rpm.

Top speed is 96 mph (153 km/h). That might seem slow on the German Autobahn where wickedly high speeds are allowed. But it’s more than enough for the U.S. Interstate system. That said, hot laps at the Portland International Speedway to show off vehicle power were not part of the Fortwo media event here.

The engine in the previous model was outsourced from Japanese automaker Mitsubishi. The engine in the new Smart comes from French automaker Renault.

Derived from the Renault Twingo, the Fortwo is made in France.

Fuel economy is 34/36 mph (6.9-6.5 L/100 km) city/highway. That’s respectable and expected for such a small car. Not so great is that the Smart’s drink of choice is 91-octane premium fuel.

Although the new model is wider, the 8.8-ft. (2.7-m) length stays the same as before. It remains the shortest car on the market, and Daimler sees that as a selling point for people with little cars on their shopping lists.

Presumably those folks are light packers. The Smart’s cargo space is not steamer- trunk suitable. The back storage area can accommodate up to 12 cu.-feet (340L) of stuff piled high enough. That’s about two medium-size suitcase and a couple of (in airlines-speak) carry-ons.

If you want to go round and round, this is the car for U-turns. It can make a ridiculously tight turn at 22.8 ft. (7 m). Daimler hails that as an industry benchmark. It’s a neat parlor trick, too.          

The new Smart looks and acts a bit more grown up, even though, size-wise, it’s still a kid. It’s no family car and doesn’t pretend to be one. But it can nestle into tight parking spaces, do a lovely pirouette, provide a fun drive and, now, go through the gears without jostling occupants.

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">New Smart Fortwo No Longer a Head Banger.)